National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi has been thrown out of the chambers for saying that Kenya “has no President”.
Mr Mbadi, who is also the Suba South MP, was contributing to a procedural motion during the Thursday morning sitting when he made the remark.
JEERS
“As we prepare to go to recess today, there is no need of being recalled to approve anything by the president because as far as I am concerned, there is no sitting president,” Mr Mbadi said.
The remark was met by shouting and jeers from Jubilee MPs.
Speaker Justin Muturi then ordered Mr Mbadi to immediately withdraw the statement “no sitting president” before continuing with his remarks.
“I have ordered you the leader of minority to either withdraw the statement or face the consequences, which you know. I will not allow such statements to be made under my watch,” Mr Muturi said.
“Some statements you are comfortable making outside there and not within this chamber. When you are outside there, you can say anything you want and will get away with it but not here under my watch.”
JUNET
Mr Muturi said Mr Mbadi would miss only the morning sitting and would be allowed in during the afternoon session because what he said was disorderly and not categorised as gross misconduct as stipulated under Standing Order 107.
Mr Mbadi, however, remained defiant.
“I cannot withdraw the obvious. I rather withdraw from the House than withdraw the statement.”
This means that the minority leader will miss the morning session where the House will approve members of the House committees.
Minority Whip and Suna East MP Junet Mohammed defended Mr Mbadi, saying he did not mean there is no president but was only declaring allegiance to the ‘people’s president’.
DUALE
There have been plans for the National Super Alliance (Nasa) to swear in their leader Raila Odinga as the ‘people’s president’.
The inauguration, set for December 12, was put off indefinitely.
“I have seen our leader thrown out for just affirming his allegiance to the ‘people’s president’. He did not actually say there is no president,” Mr Junet said.
However, Majority Leader Aden Duale said it is not right to use the term ‘people’s president’ while in the chambers, saying President Kenyatta was elected by majority of Kenyans and his win affirmed by the Supreme Court.
Nasa has maintained that they will not recognise the legitimacy of Mr Kenyatta who was sworn in for his second term on November 28.
According to the opposition, there was no election on October 26 and Mr Kenyatta’s win is inconsequential.
Source-https://nation.africa/kenya
